Monday, July 7, 2014

Vade Ki Daastan

We
say we are diet conscious, health freaks who do not like eating those oily
fried fast foods which we get on the street, or even if we make them at home.
So one of my favorites are the varieties of vadas which we eat. The vada-pavs,
and the medu vadas, and dal vadas…slurp! There are different songs, old and
new, which tell us that vadas are so good, and they help us imagine it all. Do
forgive me even if I completely mutilate the songs, because this is just a work
of fiction, and of imagination, to satiate the urge to enjoy the vadas in the
rains, with hot steaming tea.

Let
us begin with a small prayer, an ode to our stomachs, so that we stay strong,
and however many vadas we eat, may our weight not increase.

Humko pet ki
shakti dena,

Weight gain na
kare,

Dusro ke khaane
se pehle,

Humko khaana
mile.

There
are some songs which actually promote the eating of vadas. Here is one in which
Rajnikanth Sir is used to say that vadas must be eaten.

Dum maaro dum,

Bhajiya garam,

Khao subeh
shaam,

Rajnikanth bhi le
khaake prabhu ka naam.

Then
there is the one song, the romantic ode, which tells us about personal choice,
and how vadas must actually be savored.

Vade ache lagte
hai,

With chutney,

And sambhar,

Mat pina,

Saath mein rum.

Next
we come to the blockbuster song, which you shall very easily recognize, and it
is quite self-explanatory too.

Vada o vada,

Aisa lazis tu
vada,

Har koi chaahe tujhe,

Khaana akela.

Well
well well…! Now I’m quite hungry, so I’m going out with my friend to fill my
stomach, and there is a song for that situation which faces me. The awkward situation
when I have to decide which type of vada to devour first (first because
obviously I can’t skip any, can you?).

Yaar hume kis
mod pe le aaya,

Ider medu vada,

Uder dal vada,

Kaun yeh bataye,

Pehle kya
khayega.

So,
I decided to walk to the new shop which had opened at the crossroad. It smelled
awesome and it delicately attracted me towards it, and so I went there. As I went
near, the aroma intoxicated me, and I joined the waiting crowd. There I remembered
another song.

Sunghke vada
Madrasvala,

Khul jaye bhare
pet ka bhi taala,

Khaake aisa kare
dhamaal,

Bill dekhke ruk
jaye sabki chaal,

Aaya chor Madras
vade vala.

Well,
new shop and the waiting throng. I couldn’t resist, and I ended up halving the
weight of my wallet, but with the taste and the quality, it was completely
worth it. Then my friend and I walked to the other shop, and sat down at the
table. The vadas came quickly and they were steaming hot, direct from the
frying pan. As we waited for them to cool, my fingers beat on the wooden table,
and the words came to my lips.

Vada tu ab toh
aaja,

Bhuka sa pet
behke,

Aake pet bharja,

Tere tan ki
jwala,

Tu thanda jaldi ho
jaa,

Aise pet mein
samaja.

Burp!
Phew! Well, this was enough for snacks, but when it comes to dinner, I have a new
song which exactly fits the bill.

Chaar thali
vada,

Khaana mera
lunch ka,

Chai meri jo
roke,

Meine uthke usko
thoka.

Now
the wonder sets in, and as Shruti rightly asks me with furrowed brows and a
tinge of anger, “Why and how are you so thin if you eat so much?”

Sis,
here is an answer to your question. Not exactly mine, but yes, mine.

Meri umar ke
naujavanon,

Khaana na khaana
o deewano,

Meine pet
bharke,

Wazan badhaya,

Aur gym join karli,

Par jhut toh
kehte hum hai,

Kehte hum hai,

Pal sabhi,

Bhuk se badhkar
nahi hai,

Badhkar nahi
hai,

Rog koi,

Chadta nahi khaana
khaake yaaron,

Iss sharir mein
wazan koi,

Iss bhuk ka nahi
hai ilaaj,

Duniya mein aur
koi,

Toh khao,

Om shanti om.

Well,
please do not eat Om and Shanti unless you are cannibals. And yes, even I do
not know how I am thin, even though I eat that much.

Ouch!
Oh no! Its dinner time already! I could fill my stomach with vadas, but too
much of anything is bad too. So I’ll shift my attention to the other savories
which await me at home. I’ll end this with a melody, and then I’ll let you in
on one of my secrets.

O lasagna,

O pani puri,

Pet kar gayi
khaali meri,

Garam medu vada
cheen li,

Haaye khaane ki
bechainiyan hai bhari,

Mein baitha hun
bhuka,

Bolo samjhayun
mein yeh gham kis kis ko,

Khali plate ab
tum zara khisko,

Pet mein mere
hai bhuk-e-disco.

Ahh,
lasagna and pani puri, I’m salivating and being tortured every second I sit
typing. But my promise to let you in on my secret binds me here, so I must
control my feeling.

I
don’t eat to live; but I live to eat. Food is my one true love, and I would do
anything for it. But I do have some preferences. At home, I can exercise them,
but at times, I have to let go, and wait for the opportunity to really enjoy
beautiful food. Borosil. The one and
the only thing which makes food all the more beautiful. There is a difference
between tasty food, and beautiful food, and Borosil
is the only one which bridges the gap in between.

With
its wide range of products, Borosil has
options for every dish we eat, from the starters to the main course to the
desserts and then even the drinks. All the food we eat has taste, and can be
called tasty, but all of it cannot be associated with the word beauty. If you
wish to enjoy your food all the more, then my only suggestion would be to shift
to Borosil.